A pattern
of repetitive behavior where the rights of others or the social
norms are violated and in which the basic rights of others or
major age-appropriate societal norms or rules are violated, as
manifested by the presence of three (or more) of the following
criteria in the past 12 months, with at least one criterion present
in the past 6 months:
Aggression to people and animals:
Often bullies,
threatens, or intimidates others.
Often initiates physical fights.
Has used a weapon that can cause serious physical harm to others.
Has been physically cruel to people.
Has been physically cruel to animals.
Has stolen while confronting a victim.
Has forced someone into sexual activity.
Destruction of property:
Has deliberately
engaged in fire setting with the intention of causing serious
damage.
Has deliberately
destroyed others' property (other than by fire setting).
Deceitfulness or theft:
Has broken
into someone else's house, building, or car.
Often lies
to obtain goods or favors or to avoid obligations (i.e., "cons"
others).
Has stolen
items of nontrivial value without confronting a victim (e.g.,
shoplifting, but without breaking and entering; forgery).
Serious violations of rules:
Often stays
out at night despite parental prohibitions, beginning before
age 13 years.
Has run
away from home overnight at least twice while living in parental
or parental surrogate home (or once without returning for a
lengthy period).
Is often
truant from school, beginning before age 13 years.
The disturbance in behavior causes clinically significant impairment
in social, academic, or occupational functioning.
If the individual is age 18 years or older, criteria are not met
for Antisocial Personality Disorder.
Specify
Type based on age at onset:
1. Childhood-Onset
Type: onset of at least one criterion characteristic of Conduct
Disorder prior to age 10 years.
2. Adolescent-Onset Type: absence of any criteria characteristic
of Conduct Disorder prior to age 10 years.
Specify
Severity:
1. Mild: few
if any conduct problems in excess of those required to make the
diagnosis and conduct problems cause only minor harm to others.
2. Moderate: number of conduct problems and effect on
others intermediate between "mild" and "severe".
3. Severe: many conduct problems in excess of those required to
make the diagnosis or conduct problems cause considerable harm
to others.
This disorder
has been attributed to many factors including poor parenting,
child
abuse, poverty, and children brought up in chaotic environments.
Roughly 6 to 16% of boys and two to 9% of girls have this disorder.
Treatment:
Counseling
and Psychotherapy [ See
Therapy Section ]:
Treatment
consists of a multimodal treatment program. The family
should also be involved in therapy. Individual psychotherapy is
needed to work on problem solving skills.
